Tub removal

We are remodeling a wing of the house. We’re getting rid of the guest room, because we don’t often have guests, and we don’t believe it’s useful to maintain a space, with furnishings, for nonexistent visitors. So we’re repurposing the space for ourselves. Darling wife thinks she’s getting a new walk-in closet. I think I’m getting an armory. We’ll see who’s right.

Repurposing the space involves moving the bathroom, including the plumbing and drains. This isn’t difficult, just a bit of labor. Most of the labor will be done by people more skilled than I am. But I’m good at demolition. So the tub had to come out. It was too heavy to move, and it was placed and then the walls were built around it, so there was no easy way to pull it out of its space. So I smashed it out. The disintegrator created too much flash and spalling, which was dangerous in the confined space, so I resorted to a good old-fashioned sledgehammer. I broke up enough of it to be able to wrench it out of its space, then I dragged it into the empty guest room and finished smashing it into small pieces.

We have scrap metal scavengers who patrol our neighborhood. They work hard and they keep the place clean, so we put the pieces of the tub out for them. I believe scrap iron is going for about $20/kg, if I’m not mistaken. So the young family with a small boy who stopped to pick up our scrap iron was glad to have it. I was glad for them to take it, because I don’t need the money, but they do.

Everything works out for the best.